RIP OSJ 1957-2021

[J.T.]

2 hours ago, Ryan said:

I hope his wife is doing alright, considering everything.

I have been in contact with Kathy.  She sounds physically okay but I can tell it hasn't really sunk in yet.   She has my cell phone number and I have told her to call me whenever she needs to.

[Liam]

Man, this has hit harder than I thought. I don't tend to post here a lot (relative to some other places I post), but have lurked here for many years. What it has meant is that, outside of some names here and there, I don't really 'know' people or interact with anyone in any meaningful way.

However, OSJ was a guy who did, in several threads, go out of his way to respond to posts I made, help me out with recommendations, and even gave me some tips when it came to writing/publishing/etc. A genuinely lovely guy, it would seem.

RIP

[ReiseReise]

Despite liking this board in general, outside of a few very specific threads I don't post much. That being said, I loved reading OSJ's posts, he always came across as a very knowledgeable guy and knew how to put his thoughts into words. Even without having an established connection it seemed as if he was just really likeable. Sorry for the loss to everyone who was close to him and condolences and best wishes to his widow. 

[just drew]

When my wife and I lost our first baby at 19 weeks a couple years ago, Jon sent me a really heartfelt message about not letting life kick my ass. I didn't know it at the time, but his words were measured, wise, and well-timed. I'm just now seeing this, but I hope is at peace.

[Nice Guy Eddie]

What? I step away from the board for a while and this is what I come back to. I'm really at a loss for words. OSJ was one of the good ones. My condolences go out to John's family and friends.

[Curt McGirt]

Re: David J. Schow

Quote

As part of the KillerCon 2021 post-mortem, BRIAN KEENE had an announcement. I'm proud, yes, but also leery as I am one of the few inductees with an actual working heartbeat.

I asked him (and I have great respect for this man) to give him our best. 

I found John's book in my house in a box since the move. He wrote "For Curt - *signature* Member in good standing of Los Ingobernables DVDVR! One day at a time - one nightmare at a time". 

If you take that Ingobernables title from me on this board ever, I will hunt you down. 

John, we love you. 

[J.T.]

My copy is signed, "To my younger brother from different parents.   J.T.:  The Joe Bob Briggs of the 21st century.  Enjoy! "

[Curt McGirt]

Schow didn't know John so he can't speak on our behalf, but he said he was well respected as are many who did his job in the industry. So, there's that. 

[twiztor]

missing our friend @OSJtoday. miss our wrestling/comic books/action figure talks. i hope your wife is doing well.

edit:

i read his short story, An Antique Vintage, and snapped this pic with two of my favorite Golden Age comic figures. the Wonder Man figure was done by a guy that also did a few of John's custom figures.

Edited January 31, 2022 by twiztor

[J.T.]

As far as I know Mrs. OSJ is doing okay.  Kathy and I weren't as close as John and i were.  I occasionally send her an e-mail and she is good enough to respond, but we don't keep up with each other on the regular.

[MORELOCK]

I started posting on RSPW when I was 13. I'm 36. Two-thirds of my life is a long time to be under John's learning tree.
 

Right before I hopped off the board for two years I made sure to send him a message telling him he's an asshole for coming at me after my ban. Wish I hadn't. 

Shit.

[Ramsey]

This is a sad one. When my marriage broke up in late 2018/early 2019 John sent me such a nice note and then checked in on me to see how I was doing. A good cat and I'm so sorry to hear he is gone.

[Matt D]

I don't have a lot to say, but it's been a year, today, and I did want to take a minute to remember John today. Big things and small. I wish that he could have suggested a book to me in the last year. I had a good friend self publish and he put so much time and effort into it and it's good and I wish John could have given him some advice on it. He would have. Selflessly. I wish that we could have heard about whatever ridiculously obscure figure he was commissioning or whatever first edition he was hunting down. There's some arcane author that none of us have ever heard of that, if given another year of life, John would have found a way to bring back into the spotlight and preserve and we're the lesser for that not happening. I kind of wonder how he'd take to AEW in the last year, if he'd find some things to love too or not. Or what he'd think of what MLB was doing with rules and everything else. I've been fortunate not to lose a ton of people in my life, certainly not a ton that I miss, but John? John I miss.

[Lawful Metal]

I was really hoping I could show him my son and I's book.  I hope he would've enjoyed it.  This year, I wish I could show him the progress we've made on book 2. 

[J.H.]

John was one of the good ones on this Board. My respect for him was vast. I wish I could've had more interaction with him the way some others did, but every book or piece of media he ever recommended here was always worth its weight in gold.

James

Edited May 5, 2022 by J.H.

[twiztor]

miss ya, buddy. 

[J.T.]

On 4/12/2022 at 4:08 PM, Matt D said:

I don't have a lot to say, but it's been a year, today, and I did want to take a minute to remember John today.

I think that John's widow, Kathy, and I have begun an annual tradition of checking in on each other on the anniversary of his passing.  The last year has been kinda tough for her, but she's doing fine.  I think we're both still in a state of disbelief.  I sometimes expect John to chime in on some of the comments I make on the board and then I realize he's not with us to do that anymore.

I am sure that OSJ would be proud of Lawful and Lawful Jr. exploring their new found talent for literature and he would offer as much sage advice and encouragement as he could.

Edited April 26, 2023 by J.T.

[Craig H]

Coincidences are weird. I was just going to post in here yesterday about OSJ. I was driving to a therapy appointment and passed a car with a vinyl logo on it and in big letters it said OSJ. Made me think of the big guy and feel sad he's not with us. It also doesn't feel like it's been this long.

There's other stuff that will remind me of him, mostly in the baseball thread. Last year when we started talking about HOF stuff it made me stop and go, fuck, OSJ should be on here to annoy Rippa with another HOF thread. And then this year with all of the changes to baseball it made me wonder what he'd think about the pitch clock, universal DH, the restrictions to the shift, etc.

Death is a motherfucker. Hug your loved ones and if you think of something nice about literally anyone, don't keep it in your head. Let that person know. No one is a telepath and can read your mind. Well, I mean, don't be a creep though. Most of you should understand boundaries.

[The Natural]

On 4/29/2021 at 3:57 PM, The Natural said:

Just hit me that I won't be able to talk this year's Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame class with @OSJ and we were wondering whether Kazuchika Okada would beat Kenta Kobashi's 98% record. Fuck.

I liked our annual WON HOF talks. Turns out Kenta Kobashi would still hold that record with Kazuchika Okada third and Jushin Thunder Liger second. OSJ would be happy that Tetsuya Naito went in the WON HOF, a favourite of ours. I also need to post the latest Conor McGregor defeats knowing how much he couldn't stand him. Miss you, man xxx.

[Zimbra]

Every once in a while I'll see something on the internet and think "Damn, John would have hated that" and get a little sad I won't get to hear him bitch about it.

[Contentious C]

12 hours ago, J.T. said:

I am sure that OSJ would be proud of Lawful and Lawful Jr. exploring their new found talent for literature and he would offer as much sage advice and encouragement as he could.

Usually by recounting a 1200-word rambling essay of seemingly-but-only-barely-related stuff that we'd already heard before, but we read it all anyway because why not.

I feel all the time like I've let him down by not working harder to get something published.  I wonder if that feeling will ever go away even if I do.

Edited April 26, 2023 by Contentious C

[The Natural]

23 hours ago, The Natural said:

I liked our annual WON HOF talks. Turns out Kenta Kobashi would still hold that record with Kazuchika Okada third and Jushin Thunder Liger second. OSJ would be happy that Tetsuya Naito went in the WON HOF, a favourite of ours. I also need to post the latest Conor McGregor defeats knowing how much he couldn't stand him. Miss you, man xxx.

For, @OSJ:

 

Enjoy, fella xxx.

[sdinma]

Came on here for the first time in a long while due to the Dean news and saw this thread. OSJ was an entertaining poster and a good guy. My (very belated) condolences to his friends and family.

[twiztor]

OSJ, i miss you brother. i can't believe it's been over 4 years.

I wish i could hear you talk about Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe being eligible for the MLB HOF. i'm sure you have opinions on this big shift.

i imparted some of your wisdom at work the other day to a new supervisor who was struggling on how to connect with their reports. I thought back to John's 5 words. "Can You Tell Me More?" I told this supervisor how much that phrase has helped my improvement in having meaningful conversations, and getting people to open up about their passions and interests. I hope they are able to run with it as well. 

[The Natural]

13 hours ago, twiztor said:

OSJ, i miss you brother. i can't believe it's been over 4 years.

I wish i could hear you talk about Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe being eligible for the MLB HOF. i'm sure you have opinions on this big shift.

i imparted some of your wisdom at work the other day to a new supervisor who was struggling on how to connect with their reports. I thought back to John's 5 words. "Can You Tell Me More?" I told this supervisor how much that phrase has helped my improvement in having meaningful conversations, and getting people to open up about their passions and interests. I hope they are able to run with it as well. 

Thank you for sharing this, mate. I miss debating OSJ about who should/shouldn't be inducted into the WON HOF and our mutual loathing of Conor McGregor.